Fifty plus VAT

As I reach a significant birthday, which sounds old, the years seem to pass quicker than when I was a child or is it just the fact that life gets busier and we don’t stop to notice time as I once did. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I was board and had nothing to do, those long wet Sunday afternoons, which I remember as a child, which seemed to last a lifetime have escaped me, for the time being anyway.

The brewing industry continues at a similar lightning pace, and seems to gain further momentum by the day, brewers open at an alarming rate bringing with them their own style of innovation, brewing methodology and ingredients.  

I am extremely fortunate to be allowed to judge beer competitions and am constantly amazed by both the skill of brewers and the variety of beers now available, to be honest I prefer a well-balanced beer that I can drink a few pints of, in preference to overly hopped eye watering liquid which after a sip puts you on your back with the alcohol content, thank god we are all different.

But what I can say is that there has never been such a fantastic time to be a beer drinker, the variety and choice has never been so good and if you look hard enough you can find virtually anything, Honey, Ginger, Lavender, Orange, Juniper, the list just goes on to the stage where I wonder when the drinker is going to get confused and fed up with choice!

Who drives the decision as to what is stocked in a pub or bar, it’s no longer brand name but other factors, when I ran a brewery I was forever being told by the licensee that he or she could not stock our brand because when they did nothing else on the bar sold but customers wanted choice!!!!!

Others would just say that they only buy beer for ￡50.00 per firkin or less but when I ask who? it was always a brewer he could not be named, and brewers would all deny selling beer that cheaply.

Demand should determine supply unfortunately our industry, like many of the current beers, are out of balance and it is up to us to realign or change.